By Angelica Gavaldon.
The school year is here. It can become a stressful time to adapt to a new schedule and getting the family back into the routine, so here are a few tips that help me and my son stay as healthy and stress free as possible, hopefully they will help you and your children:
1. Adjust their sleeping schedule.
Summer vacation is filled with a lot of activities, camps, friends and family gatherings. As such, bed time often goes off schedule and kids get to bed a lot later than usual. To help my son transition into waking up earlier, I adjust his alarm, starting one to two weeks prior to returning to school. If you wait to do it until the day before, your kid will most likely be overly tired and cranky! Planning their sleeping schedule ahead of time will make getting back into routine much easier.
2. Pack lunch and snacks the night before.
I like to prepare a healthy lunch and snack the night before, that way their lunch box is ready to go and so are you when you are rushing out the door. My son has severe allergies so I try to make sure he gets enough protein throughout the day. To sustain his energy, I typically pack turkey, string cheese, gluten free granola, a fruit and a small treat.
3. Hydration is essential.
Make sure you pack a big bottle of water for them to drink throughout the day. Sometimes exhaustion can result from not drinking enough liquids.
4. Plan an after-school sports activity.
It is important to keep your kids active. Pick a sport your kids enjoy and stick to it. This is much better for them than having them sit at home watching tv.
5. Create structure.
Try sticking to a routine and schedule every day. Even though it may be difficult at times, structure is very important for kids as it helps them feel confident and perform better.
6. Eat dinner early.
Try to feed your children at least two hours before bedtime. Eating dinner earlier is better for your child’s digestion and quality of sleep.
